Drum mounting



Jan. 5, 19.60 H. H. SLINGERLAND, JR 2,919,618

DRUM MOUNTING Filed Aug. 16, 1957 United States Patent 1 Claim. (Cl.84-421) This invention relates to a musical drum and in particular to aspur device for retaining a bass drum.

To'retain a bass drum in proper position to be beaten by a drummer,legs, or spurs, are secured to the cylindrical shell of the drum toextend downwardly therefrom into contact with the surface on which thedrum rests. Such spurs may be secured to the hoop at the end of theshellor may be attached to the cylindrical wall of the shell itselfintermediate the ends thereof.

This invention relates to spurs of the type which are attached directlyto the shell and more particularly to a form of such directly attachedspurs wherein the spur is arranged to be retracted to within the body ofthe drum when desired.

The retractable type spur devices now found in the art have severalserious disadvantages. One such disadvantage is that the spur is securedto the shell by means of a bracket which requires that the spur extendperpendicular to a plane tangent to the shell at the point of mounting.Thus, in order to use a reasonably small sized bass drum, the spurs mustbe mounted on the drum quite close to the bottom thereof, resulting in arelatively unstable retention of the drum. A second disadvantage of suchretractable spurs and similarly of other types of spurs presently known,is that the spurs extend in a radial plane (in a plane transverselyperpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shell) so that little orno resistance is offered to the walking of the drum away from thedrummer resulting from the successive impacts on the head of the drumadjacent the drummer. To remedy this problem separate devices known asdrum anchors have heretofore been required.

The principal feature of this invention is to provide a new and improvedretractable spur device.

Another feature is to provide such a retractable spur device havingimproved drum retaining functioning wherein the spur is attached to theshell by a bracket which extends the spur at an acute angle relative toa plane tangent to the shell at the point of mounting of the spur.

A further feature of the invention is to provide a retractable spurdevice having improved walking preventing functioning wherein thebracket is arranged to extend the spur at an acute angle to a radialplane perpendicular to the axis of the drum and away from the head ofthe drum arranged to be beaten.

Still another feature of the invention is to provide such a brackethaving means associated therewith to align automatically the bracketwith the axis of the drum to insure a proper angular extension of thespur therefrom.

Other features and advantages of this invention will be apparent fromthe following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a bass drum having mounted thereon a pairof spur devices embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, enlarged side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken approximately along the line 3-3 ofFig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a further enlarged, fragmentary elevational view of the spurdevice;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken approximately along the line 5-5 ofFig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view thereof; and

Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of the mounting bracket.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention as shown in the drawings, aspur device generally designated 10 is seen to be attached to a drum 11.The spur device 10 is of a retractable type wherein a rod-like spur 12is attached by means of a bracket 13 to the tubular shell 14 of drum 11alternatively to project outwardly therefrom (as seen in Fig. l), or tobe retracted therethrough to extend to within the interior of shell 14..The instant inventioncomprehends a device 10 wherein spur 12 is arrangedto extend, in the projecting disposition, with a novel angularrelationship to the drum 11 whereby an improved retaining action againstboth a sideward or rolling movement of the drum and a longitudinal orwalking movement of the drum is obtained. 7 More specifically, drum 11may be of any suitable drum construction and is herein shown as of aconventional bass drum configuration defined by cylindrical shell 14, arear or beating head 15-across one end of the shell and a front head 16across the opposite'end of the shell. Suitable hoops 17 are provided andassociated with a plurality of tensioning devices 18 to draw the heads15 and 16 taut. A pedal 19 may be secured to the hoop 17 adjacent rearhead 15 to effect a beating of the drum with the drummers foot.

Intermediate heads 15 and 16 and relatively adjacent the horizontalcentral plane of shell 14, the shell is provided with a pair ofcircumferentially spaced holes 20. Adjacent each of holes 20 is a pairof apertures 21 for use in properly positioning bracket 13, as will bebrought out more fully hereinafter.

As best seen in Figures 4 through 7, bracket 13 comprises an innerportion 22 having a mating configuration relative to the cylindricalshell 14 conformably engaging the shell outer surface. A pair of bosses23 projects fflolilil inner portion 22 to extend into apertures 21 ofthe S1 e the shell, and the cooperative action of bosses 23 withapertures 21 effects automatic alignment of bracket 13 relative tothelongitudinal axis of the shell and outwardly of hole 20. To securebracket 13 to the shell, stud bolts 24 are threadedly associated withbosses 23, suitable washers being carried thereby to engage the shellsurrounding apertures 21.

Extended completely through bracket 13 is a passage 26 which opensthrough inner portion 22 thereof into alignment with hole 20 when thebracket is positioned on shell 14 as described above. Passage 26comprises a straight bore having an enlarged or countersunk portion 27at its outer end. As best seen in Figure 5, passage 26 is arranged toextend at an acute angle downwardly relative to a plane tangent to thecylindrical shell at hole 20. Thus, as best seen in Fig. 3, brackets 13may be mounted substantially above the surface S of the floor orplatform on which the drum is supported permitting the spurs 12 toretain or cradle the drum 11 in an improved manner, while allowing theretraction of the spurs 12 into the drum when desired. To position thespur 12 longitudinally relative to passage 26 securing means areprovided, herein shown as a wing bolt 28 threaded through bracket 13 tohave its inner end 28a engage releasably spur 12 within passage 26.

To limit the longitudinal movement of the spur into shell 14 a retainingring 29 is secured to the spur adjacent the floor engaging outer tip 30thereof. Retaining The conforming engagement of bracket 13 withring 29is dimensioned to move through countersunk portion 27 but not throughthe remainder of passage 26. The spacing of ring 29 from tip 30 ispreferably such that, when spur 12 is in the fully retracted positionwherein ring 29 is at the inner end of countersunk portion 27, tip 30 ofthe spur is Wholly received Within the countersunk portion 27 of thepassage. Thus, no portion of the spur projects outwardly from bracket 13when the spur is in the retracted position.

In addition to being arranged to extend angularly downwardly to provideimproved cradling, passage 26 is arranged to extend at an angle to aradial plane transversely perpendicular to the axis of shell 14 andthrough hole 20 to provide improved resistance to walking of the drum.This arrangement is best seen in Figures 2 and 6. It is preferred thatthe angular extension from the radial plane be such that tip 30 of thespur project toward the plane of front head 16 of the drum. Resultingly,the tendency of the drum to move away or walk from the drummer as therear head 15 is beaten by the drummer is effectively counteracted by thereaction of tip 30 against surface S on which the drum is carried. Thusthe need for separate anchor devices is virtually eliminated.

The use of spur device is extremely simple, while yet it provides animproved, positive retention of the drum 11. When the drum is to betransported, spurs 12 are fully retracted by loosening wing bolts 28 andsliding each spur longitudinally through passage 26 of the associatedbolt until retaining ring 29 is fully received within countersunkportion 27. This automatically positions tip 30 of the spur fully withinthe countersunk portion 27 of the passage. Wing bolt 28 may then beretightened to retain the spur in the retracted position.

When it is desired to utilize spurs 12 for retaining the drum inposition for use, wing bolts 28 are loosened and the spurs are Withdrawnfrom shell 14 to the desired projected position wherein they extenddownwardly from bracket 13 to engage the surface S on which the drum isto be carried. The novel angular disposition of passage 26 causes thespurs to be automatically positioned in an improved cradling andwalking-resistant arrangement. Wing bolts 28 are then retightened tosecure the spurs in this desired extended position and the drum is readyfor conventional use.

While .I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention,it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications.Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as definedin the appended claim.

I claim:

A retractable-type spur drum support comprising: a bracket having aninner portion of segmental cylindrical configuration adapted to engagethe outside of a cylindrical drum shell, at least one boss on said innerportion having a stud bolt extending thereinto, said bracket also havinga spur-receiving passage therethrough, said passage being at an acuteangle to a plane normal to the axis of cuvature of said cylindricalconfiguration and chordal with respect to the cylindrical drumconfiguration; and a wing bolt extending into said bracket and into saidpassage.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,525,623 Somerville Oct. 10, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 965,597 France Sept.15, 1950

